Hi, I am just starting up my woodworking hobby and I am thinking about buying a jointer or a planer (budget and shop space won’t let me have both). I have a few projects on my list to build over the winter; bookcases, a desk, a dresser. I see a lot written online about the advantages of both, but I’m interested in hearing whatever advice I could get on which one I should buy first.

I use my jointer more than my planer. That said, if I could only have one or the other, I would get the planer. You can jig other tools to do the work of a jointer. It’s harder to get other tools to do the work of a planer.

while a jointer is a more versatile machine, it’s main functionalities can be done with other tools while the planer which only does 1 thing is hard to replicate with other alternatives. if you can only get one – get the planer (first)

My opinion would be to get the planer. It is a more versital machine for a shop with no room for both. A combo machine might be nice but my fear is if something breaks down your out of use on 2 machines as opposed to just one machine.

Actually both a jointer and a planer are needed. The jointer produces a flat edge or face while a planer takes that flat face and produces a parallel flat face. I think you’ve been given good advice as to buying the planer first in that there are other ways to produce a reference or flat surface. I have been using hand planes to achieve the reference surfaces (edge and face) for a number of years. I don’t own a jointer but I do own a planer. While it’s possible to thickness and make a parallel surface using a hand plane, it represents alot of physical work that is more quickly achieved with a powered planer.

I was the same way and got the planer first. Once I saw the kind of work it did, I had to have a jointer as well!!

It somehow got put in the budget within a month or two of getting the planer and I cleaned up and created space for it and I am really happy with both. Not that I am that good of a fine woodworker mind you, just happy with my tools!!

Think of this as a situation/opportunity to become proficient with a hand plane. Using a #5 bench plane and winding sticks you can remove twist and quickly prepare a board for a pass thru the planer. You don’t have to smooth the whole surface. I have no use for a sled to do this.

The #5 can also do a pretty good job of truing the edges for gluing after passing thru the table saw. I have often used this method to glue boards as long as 104 inches.

My vote is for the planer also, but I would agree with Iowa about the handplane. You don’t have to hit the whole board, just the spots that are to high. I’ve done this on really thick stock, if it was on a sled, it won’t go through the planer due to the thickness of the stock and sled combined being to much. I didn’t get a jointer until recently, mainly due to speed up the milling process which for me takes a while, and to get the edge jointed perfectly.